Fine line between humour and discrimination in advertising

THE advertising watchdog has ordered that a Facebook advertisement by Pineapple Insurance be withdrawn, which compared driving without car insurance to greeting a taxi driver by saying dumelang (in Sesotho).

- ZELDA VENTER

The Advertising Regulatory Board, after receiving a complaint from a member of the public about the advertisement, found it to be discriminatory.

The complaint submitted that the advert is full of tribalistic stereotypes and undertones, like the one that assumes that all taxi drivers are Zulus and hate Sotho-speaking people.

The advertiser responded that the advertisement highlights the importance of having car insurance by drawing a relatable, lighthearted analogy from everyday South African life.

It said the Zulu phrase used translated to "driving without insurance is like saying dumelang to a taxi driver", intending to illustrate a situation that is out of the norm.